Automatic control or automation is very important within industrial production, for example in order to eliminate monotonous tasks and lessen hazardous elements in a production line. In general automation also increases the efficiency as well as the quality of a process and is an excellent means to meet today's demands for non-environmental influence and economical production.
Today, most process industries such as food processing, energy or power generating plants, pharmaceutical and chemical industries are indeed more or less automated, that is, have automatic, computerised control, operation and management. The programme code used in these computerized machines and processes are subject to continuous development in order to meet changing demands. Regular updates of system software are therefore necessary for improving existing routines as well as for correcting shortcomings of the routines used.
When such updates are to be made, the version presently being used is overwritten by the new, upgraded version. This can bring about serious problems should the new version not be adequately downloaded, if the new version contains bugs or if it is non-functioning or if it contains unforeseeable incompatibilities with the system, for example leading to instabilities within the system. Should a need to revert to the old version arise, this previous code has to be downloaded again. The production could then possibly halt until the old version is up and running again. Such interruptions in production are very expensive, or could even, depending on the industry in question, be dangerous.